Balance. Wellness. Inspiration.

When in doubt, blend it out!

As the weather turns towards our proper spring expectations (it’s going to be sunny and over 60 degrees tomorrow for the Boston Marathon!!) I figured it was time to have one of the “Sunday Snacks” reflect the warmer weather…this means it’s smoothie time!

Smoothies are such an easy way to nourish and replenish your body with essential nutrients, while also encouraging some experimental food fun! What’s great about smoothie making is the flexibility and creativity that it allows–you can take a basic smoothie recipe and tweak it to fit your body’s needs that day (or any dietary preference you may have); plus, it’s a great way to prevent fruit or veggies from going to waste!

Again, while trolling through Pinterest for half marathon training meals, I came across a smoothie recipe by Serena fromDomesticate Methat ended up being as delicious as it sounded: a PB&J Smoothie. Yeah, you heard me right…it’s peanut butter jelly time!

I don’t know about you, but two things came to mind when I was reading through this recipe for the first time. (1) I am so proud of the way my taste buds have changed, grown, and become more refined over time. When I was a little kid all I would’ve never even eaten a PB&J sandwich (I didn’t like jelly), let alone try something like a “smoothie.” Instead I would have opted for plain peanut butter (not even the cool crunchy kind) on white bread and that was it. All I wanted back then was peas, carrots, hot dogs, bologna sandwiches, and milk…not all together, of course! And while I still love all of those things (anyone who knows me immediately understands my affinity for hot dogs, both plain and fully loaded with an assortment of interesting toppings), I am so proud of myself for being more open to new experiences and healthy food options. But, I digress…

(2) I saw the phrase “1 tbsp. chia seeds” and had a moment of panic. I honestly have never tried this “super food” before and, while I have read multiple articles citing the plethora of health benefits that they provide you with, they still remained on a list of intimidating healthy foods to one day try and incorporate into my diet…mainly because I had no idea what to do with them. Luckily, this recipe just calls for you to just throw it in a blender, so I felt better about that. Well, I’m here to tell you that, if you’ve never tried chia seeds before then HAVE NO FEAR–I found them to be quite delicious and am looking forward to testing them out in other recipes now, too!

So, without further ado, let’s get to the main event: a throwback and homage to your basic childhood lunchtime snack. The following recipe will yield 1 large and hearty smoothie, guaranteed to fill you up and fuel you throughout your day. Let’s face it: mornings are not all sunshine and roses, as thisReal Morning Report, courtesy of Organic Valley, hilariously depicts (but seriously, watch it…it’s great…and so true). Therefore, I wanted to make sure to provide you with a smoothie recipe that is not only healthy and energizing, but also will be realistic and doable for you. And so, in less than 10 minutes (from ingredient gathering/preparation to smoothie making) you have a delicious and nutritious snack that’s great for a commute into work, a midday work break, or a post-workout.

2 tbsp. Greek yogurt, honey blended (the original recipe didn’t call for this, but I wanted to add it for a thicker smoothie)

A handful of ice cubes

Other Items Needed:

Blender (or some other variation, such as the Ninja, NutriBullet, etc.)

Measuring cups

Instructions:

Add all of the ingredients into a blender (or NutriBullet, in my case) until fully blended/smooth, or at the consistency that you prefer.

If you haven’t gotten into a smoothie kick yet, I highly recommend testing out a few recipes to figure out what kind of smoothies you prefer before completely writing them off. First consider: water-based, milk-based, yogurt-based? Do you prefer thicker smoothies to pretend you’re drinking a milkshake? Do you use smoothies to get your daily greens in? Do you use smoothies to replace a meal like breakfast or lunch or to avoid midday munching? Or, maybe you just enjoy the simplicity of throwing a bunch of things into a blender and letting it do the work for you? Personally, I’m a big fan of the last one since I’m no Chef Boyardee (speaking of throwbacks…). Either way, whatever your reasoning for smoothie making, don’t be afraid to go off the strict recipe outlines and have some fun with it!

Make sure to check back later this week for another dose of wellness! In the meantime, make yourself a smoothie and share your favorite recipe with me: leave a comment below, e-mail me:melucas7@gmail.com, or tag me on Twitter: @meggielukes and include #MegInTheMeantime, for good measure! And, if you haven’t done so already read my last post “Wellness, while you can” and really take some time to reflect on what little steps you can take in order to take better care of yourself and check-in with your physical and mental wellness levels more often.